Dear Premier Andrews,

Stop selling off our public housing land to private property developers.

Every Victorian should have a roof over their heads, and this public land needs to stay in public hands for the benefit of the community.

Government should be looking out for the people, not corporate profits.

I urge you, Premier. Stop the sell-offs and save public housing!

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VICTORIA’S PUBLIC HOUSING DISASTER

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Public Housing Waiting List

There are 82,499 Victorians, including 24,622 children, desperately waiting on the public housing waiting list. Some people have been waiting for a home for more than a decade.

This disastrous situation has occurred because successive Labor and Liberal governments have ignored public housing, failing to build more homes to keep up with demand, and allowing existing homes to fall into disrepair.

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Selling Public Housing Land

Despite the huge public housing waiting list and Victoria’s good financial position, the Andrews Labor Government is selling public housing land to private property developers. Once this land is sold, we can never get it back.

Victoria needs to be building new public housing on a massive scale so we can ensure everyone has a place to call home. We need to keep this public land in public hands, and use this land to build more affordable housing for Victorians.

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Handouts to Property Developers

A recent report from the University of Melbourne revealed that Labor sold public housing land in Kensington to private property developers at 5% of the market value. The Real Estate Institute of Victoria valued land in Kensington at $1,640/sqm. Property developers paid $89.95/sqm.

It’s bad enough that Labor is selling off public housing land, but to give huge handouts to property developers while Victorians struggle to pay the rent, or to even find a safe place to sleep at night, is just unfathomable.

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Priorities

Everyone needs a roof over their heads, and a core responsibility of government is to make sure we all have the basics (like housing) to ensure we have a good life.

But housing has been a very low priority for successive Labor and Liberal governments. The current Andrews Labor Government is planning to build $16 billion toll roads, and spend hundreds of millions of dollars in handouts for the cashed up AFL to build a new headquarters, yet when it comes to housing they’re crying poor and can only find $182 million over four years for public housing.

WHERE IS LABOR SELLING PUBLIC HOUSING LAND?

Dunlop Avenue, Ascot Vale

Dunlop Avenue, Ascot Vale

New Street, Brighton

New Street, Brighton

Gronn Place, Brunswick West

Gronn Place, Brunswick West

Noone Street, Clifton Hill

Noone Street, Clifton Hill

Bills Street, Hawthorn

Bills Street, Hawthorn

Bell/Bardia and Tarakan estates, Heidelberg West

Bell/Bardia and Tarakan estates, Heidelberg West

Abbotsford Street, North Melbourne

Abbotsford Street, North Melbourne

Walker Street, Northcote

Walker Street, Northcote

Bangs Street, Prahran

Bangs Street, Prahran

Holland Court, Flemington

Holland Court, Flemington

Stokes/Penola and Oakover Road, Preston

Stokes/Penola and Oakover Road, Preston

THE GREENS TAKING ACTION IN PARLIAMENT

Samantha Ratnam questions the government on why they’re not building more public housing, given Victoria’s budget surplus.

Community members join the Greens at parliament to call on the Labor Government to stop the sell-off of public housing land.

THE GREENS PLAN TO SAVE PUBLIC HOUSING

Access to housing is one of our most basic human rights. It is more than simply a right to shelter – we all should have an affordable, accessible and secure place to live.

The availability of appropriate housing underpins good physical and mental health and participation in our society. We need a home to raise a family, and to access local schools, childcare and health services. We need a place to live to be able to hold down a job or access education. We need a home to be part of a local community, and to participate in local events, sports and activities. Housing is not a commodity, it is a right, and it is essential for a dignified life.

For many Victorians, public housing is the only option available for secure, affordable housing. The Greens believe the government has a responsibility to provide enough high quality public and community housing to meet current need and projected demand.

In the post-war period our governments ensured an adequate supply of housing, by building tens of thousands of new homes for veterans, migrants, and working families. However, since the 1980s successive Liberal and Labor governments have lost sight of the value of public housing, and public housing has been neglected and allowed to fall into disrepair. The Greens believe housing must be a priority for government.

The Greens will provide the public housing system with its biggest investment in decades. To increase the supply of housing and meet the waiting list we will:

Build 40,000 new public housing dwellings including necessary refurbishment over the next six years, from 1 January 2019.

Stop the sell-off of public housing estates and utilise inner-city public land for additional public housing development.

Adopt innovative construction technologies such as pre-fabricated and modular housing, to ensure the new dwellings are built using high-quality materials and are cost-efficient, timely, sustainable and durable.

Provide for different funding mechanisms including existing revenue streams and utilising record low interest rates to borrow the funds needed to build homes for all in need.

Learn more about the Greens plan for public housing by downloading our policy: